How Minority Stress Becomes Traumatic Invalidation: An Emotion-Focused Conceptualization of Minority Stress in Sexual and Gender Minority People

Transdiagnostic mechanisms such as emotion dysregulation have been found to influence the relationships among minority stressors and poor mental health outcomes in sexual and gender minority (SGM) people. However, research has yet to describe why or how exactly minority stressors may impact SGM individuals' abilities to effectively access and utilize their own emotions. Because SGM people are at risk for universal forms of invalidation as well as identity-specific forms (i.e., minority stressors), understanding minority stress through the lens of chronic and traumatic invalidation may help to illuminate the core emotional processes underlying their disproportionate rates of emotional and behavioral disorders. This article aims to (a) introduce an emotion-focused conceptualization of minority stress in SGM people through the lens of traumatic invalidation, and (b) discuss relevant treatment implications and future research directions. Public Health Significance Statement Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people are at particularly high risk for poor psychosocial outcomes. Identity-related minority stressors may function as group-specific forms of invalidation, disrupting SGM individuals' ability to identify, understand, and effectively utilize their emotions. Mental health treatments for SGM people with emotional disorders must prioritize helping them regain their ability to trust and use their emotions in the service of their values and goals.